Four-way adjustable shoe for shanked buttons



A. MICALE arch 21, 1967 FOUR-WAY ADJUSTABLE SHOE FOR SHANKED BUTTONS Filed Nov. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .5 ML mm W/ M 0 L E G N A A. MICALE March 21, 1967 FOUR-WAY ADJUSTABLE SHOE FOR SHANKED BUTTONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1964 lOO" Fla. 6

INVENTQR. ANGELO M/CALE United States Patent I 3,310,012 FOUR-WAY ADJUSTABLE SHOE FOR SIIANKED BUTTONS Angelo Micale, 995 Nassau St, North Brunswick, NJ. 08902 Filed Nov. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 414,029 2 Claims. (Cl. 112-114) This invention relates to a new and improved four-way shoe for shanked buttons, and more particularly to an adjustable shoe which will take all types of shanked buttons including wire buttons which is simple and easy to operate, and can be used by relatively unskilled personnel.

At present, in large industrial selling operations, Where women are used to run sewing machines, it is very difficult to teach the woment to adjust the machine for various size shank buttons. That is, the shoes presently in operation, when used with the sewing machine, require substantial adjustments which are intricate and require more than the minimal technical competence usually associated with the woman operator. Accordingly, at present, the woman operator requires help from other personnel with each change in the type of shank button being sewn, and, of course, this gives rise to inefilcient and costly time delays.

Therefore, it is the general object of this invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difiiculties of prior art practices by the provision of a new and better adjustable shoe for holding shanked buttons.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a shoe for shanke-d buttons which is adjustable forwardly, backwardly, and right left so as to easily align the hole through the shanked button with the needle of the sewing machine.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a new and better shoe for shanked buttons in which the alignment of the shoe for a particular shanked button can be simply and easily fixed with a minimum of adjustment.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a new and better adjustable shoe for shanked buttons which will take both solid and wire shanks without the need for special attachments.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings, forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

In FIGURE 1, there is shown a top plan view of the shoe of the present invention with a solid shanked button in place, shown in dotted line.

FIGURE 2 is a front plan view of the embodiment of" FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a left side view of the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of th embodiment of FIGURES 1-3 taken along lines 4-4 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a front plan view of the embodiment of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a left side view of the embodiment of FIGURES 5 and 6.

FIGURE 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention generally designated by the numeral 10. The embodirnent 10 is a four-Way adjustable shoe for holding shank-type buttons during the sewing thereof. In FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3, a shank button 12 has been shown in dotted line so as to indicate its position when utilized with the shoe 10.

It will be understood that the adjustable shoe 10 is connected to the foot bar of a sewing machine (not shown) by reason of the slot 14 in the vertical plate 16 which connects the shoe 10 to the foot bar. It will be understood that 'a simple nut and bolt arrangement is utilized to adjust the vertical disposition of the shoe 10 with respect to the foot bar.

A horizontal plate 18 is secured to the vertical plate 16 by reason of a dovetail end portion 20 which fits Within a dovetail groove 24 in the side wall of the plate 16. Thus, the vertical plate 16 'acts as a guide for forward and backward movement of the horizontal plate 18 in the dovetail grove 24. The vertical plate 16 has a U- shaped slot 22 therein along one edge thereof and an opposed U-shaped slot 26 at the opposite end thereof, centrally located with respect to the dovetail grooves 24. A first bolt 28 having an enlarged head 30 passes through the slot 22 into a side Wall of the horizontal plate 18. The enlarged head 30 includes an Allen wrench recess 32 which enables the enlarged head 30 to be pressed against the side wall of vertical plate 16 when the plate 16 is to be fixed in place. At such time, the bolt 28 is, through the use of an Allen wrench in the recess 32, rotated until its enlarged head 30 presses against the side wall of the vertical plate 16. It will be noted that there will be no constriction other than that provided by the bolt 28. A second bolt for jaw extension 34 passes through the second slot 26 in the vertical plate 16 and through a suitable bore in the side wall of horizontal plate 18 to engage one jaw 36 of a slidable vise 38. The vise 38 includes a second jaw 40 oppositely disposed to the first jaw 36 and fixedly secured to 'a third bolt or jaw extension 42 which passes through an opposite side wall or downwardly extending flange of horizontal plate 18 and has a head 44. The bolts 34 and 42 each have compression springs 46 and 48 respectively positioned between inner side walls 50 and 52 respectively and the vise jaws 36 and 40 respectively. The jaws 36 and 40 each are integrally connected to bolts or vertical extensions 54 and 56 which extend vertically through horizontal slots 58 and 60 parallel to the bolts 34 and 42. The bolts 54 and 56 have enlarged heads 62 and 64 which rest on the upper surface of the horizontal plate 18 with each bolt having an Allen head recess 66 and 63 respectively therein. The bolts 54 and 56 are screw threaded into the jaws 36 and 40. Thus, when the bolts 54 and 56 are not tightened down the springs 46 and 48 normally bias the jaws 36 and 40 into a closed or touching position. However, when the button 12 with its shank 70 and shank hole 72 is forced between the jaws 36 and 40 of the vise 38, the jaws move outwardly in a straight line movement against the pressure of the compression springs 46 and 48 to hold the shank '70 in place. The button 12 is rotated until the hole 72 in the shank 70 is directly below the needle of the sewing machine (not shown). If necessary, the set screw 28 is loosened and the horizontal plate 18 moved forwardly or backwardly to align the hole 72 with the needle. Once the needle is properly aligned, the set screw 28 is tightened by placing an Allen wrench in the recess 32. Further, the set screws 54 and 56 are tightened by placing an Allen wrench in the recesses 66 and 68. Then, thereafter the button 12 can be sewed, and after the removal thereof, another similar button can be reinserted between the jaws 36 and 40 which will hold the shank 70 in perfect position under the needle of the sewing machine. This will continue until a new button needs to be sewed, and then the three set screws will be loosened and realignment accomplished in a simple and easy manner. Thus, it can be seen that the operator 'need not make any adjustments on the sewing machine itself, but need merely tighten the three set screws to reset the position of the shoe. Further, it can be seen that because of the jaws 36 and 46 are freely movable, the vise 38 is actually self-aligning and will normally always place the shank hole '72 in position to receive the needle. That is, the horizontal plate 18 has 'a U-shaped slot 74 therein through which the needle passes. Further, the U-shaped slot 74 is formed with opposed arcuate surfaces '76 and '78 which are shaped to receive wire type shanks. Thus, the shoe can receive solid shanks of the type shown in FIGURES l3 as well as wire type shanks, and is capable of adjusting to various sizes and is further adjustable to position the hole of the shank under the needle of the sewing machine.

In FIGURE 5, there is shown a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIGURE there is shown a more simple attachment in the form of a two-way adjustable shoe 80 for use with wire type shank buttons. That is, the shoe 80 includes a vertical plate 82 and a horizontal plate 84 disposed in a manner similar to the shoe of FIGURES 1-4. That is, the horizontal plate 84 has a dovetail end wall. 86 while the vertical plate 82 has a dovetail groove 88 therein for receiving and guiding the horizontal plate 84 for forward and backward movement relative to the needle of the sewing machine to which it is to be attached. The shoe 80 is attached to the foot bar of a sewing machine by screwing the vertical plate 82 thereto through the adjustable relation achieved by reason of the vertical slot 90 in the vertical plate 82. The vertical plate 82 further has an oblong slot 92 therein parallel to and centrally located with respect to the dovetail grove 88 and through which passes a suitable set screw 94. Set screw 94 has 'an enlarged head 96 and a screw portion 98 which is threadedly engaged with the dovetail side wall 86 of the horizontal plate 84. The enlarged head 96 further includes an Allen head recess 100 for securing the vertical plate 82 to the horizontal plate 84 by forcing the enlarged head 96 of the set screw 94 against the side wall of the vertical plate 82.

Further, the horizontal plate 84 has a recess fiat portion 102 centrally located on the upper surface thereof. A U-shaped slot Hi4 extends from the front edge 1% of the horizontal plate 84 parallel to the vertical plate 82. The slot 104 passes through the horizontal plate 84 and is adapted to be positioned immediately below the needle of the sewing machine. The U-shaped recess 164 has arcuate opposed surfaces 1% and 110 therein adjacent the front edge We of the horizontal plate 84. The opposed arcuate surfaces 108 and 110 are intended to receive the wire shank of a button to be positioned below the needle of the sewing machine. The attachment 89 is especially useful where only wire buttons are to be used and only requires a single adjustment of set screw 9 used and only requires a single adjustment of set screw 94 to fixed the shoe in place. That is, one need only position the hole of the wire button below the needle and tighten the set screw 94 to be ready for sewing.

It will be understood that the present invention has achieved its objects of eliminating the need for time consumin and technical adjustments of the entire sewing machine by incorporating simple and easy adjustments in the shoe attachment which enables the women operator needs to sew with only three set screws to tighten. Further, the shoe 14) is self-aligning initially by reason of the vise 38 and further can be compatable with virtually any type of industrial sewing machine presently in use.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and, accordingly reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sewing machine attachment comprising a vertically extending attachment piece for connecting the attachment to a sewing machine, a horizontally extending plate connected to said vertically extending attachment piece, said horizontal plate having 'a needle slot formed therein extending inwardly of said plate from an edge thereof through which the needle of the sewing machine is to pass in sewing shank buttons, a vise having jaws centered at said slot, said jaws being guided for straight line movement in a direction perpendicular to said slot, spring biasing means equally biasing each of said jaws toward each other, said jaws having a vertical extension passing through aligned guide slots on opposite sides of said slot, said guide slots being formed in said horizontal plate perpendicular to said needle slot, locking means for fixedly securing said extensions to said horizontal plate when said jaws are to be locked in a predetermined position, said locking means, when inoperative to lock said extensions to said horizontal plate, allowing free movement of said jaws in a direction perpendicular to said needle slot, connection means for connecting said vertically extending attachment piece to said horizontally extending plate, said connecting means including guide means for guiding said horizontally extending plate for forward and backward movement relative to said vertically extending attachment piece, and a locking device for locking said horizontally extending plate in position relative to said vertically extending attachment piece.

2. A sewing machine attachment comprising a vertically extending attachment piece for connecting the attachment to a sewing machine, a horizontally extending plate connected to said vertically extending attachment piece, said horizontal plate having a needle slot formed therein extending inwardly of said plate from an edge thereof through which the needle of the sewing machine is to pass in sewing shank buttons, a vise having jaws centered at said slot, said jaws being guided for straight line movement in a direction perpendicular to said slot, spring basing means equally biasing each of said jaws toward each other, said jaws having a vertical extension passing through aligned guide slots on opposite sides of said slot, said guide slots being formed in said horizontal plate perpendicular to said needle slot, locking means for fixedly securing said extensions to said horizontal plate when said jaws are to be locked in a predetermined position, said locking means, when inoperative to lock said extensions to said horizontal plate, allowing free movement of said jaws in a direction perpendicular to said needle slot, said horizontal plate includes a downwardly extending flange parallel to and along an opposite edge from said vertically extending attachment piece, said spring biasing means including jaw extensions passing through oppositely disposed guide holes in said vertically extending attachment and said horizontal plate downwardly extending flange, and coil springs mounted about said jaw extensions between said vise jaws and their associated vertically extending attachment piece and horizontal plate downwardly extending flange to normally bias said jaws toward each other and to guide said jaws for movement only in a direction perpendicular to said needle slot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,331,370 10/1943 Brussell 112-144 2,630,087 3/1953 Liero et al 112l14 X 2,962,990 12/1960 Manganiello 112114 3,143,092 8/1964 Glasman et 'al. 1l2-l 15 X 3,163,135 12/1964 Krell 112114 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,886 11/1912 England.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING ATTACHMENT PIECE FOR CONNECTING THE ATTACHMENT TO A SEWING MACHINE, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PLATE CONNECTED TO SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING ATTACHMENT PIECE, SAID HORIZONTAL PLATE HAVING A NEEDLE SLOT FORMED THEREIN EXTENDING INWARDLY OF SAID PLATE FROM AN EDGE THEREOF THROUGH WHICH THE NEEDLE OF THE SEWING MACHINE IS TO PASS IN SEWING SHANK BUTTONS, A VISE HAVING JAWS CENTERED AT SAID SLOT, SAID JAWS BEING GUIDED FOR STRAIGHT LINE MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SLOT, SPRING BIASING MEANS EQUALLY BIASING EACH OF SAID JAWS TOWARD EACH OTHER, SAID JAWS HAVING A VERTICAL EXTENSION PASSING THROUGH ALIGNED GUIDE SLOTS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SLOT, SAID GUIDE SLOTS BEING FORMED IN SAID HORIZONTAL PLATE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID NEEDLE SLOT, LOCKING MEANS FOR FIXEDLY SECURING SAID EXTENSIONS TO SAID HORIZONTAL PLATE WHEN SAID JAWS ARE TO BE LOCKED IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION, SAID LOCKING MEANS, WHEN INOPERATIVE TO LOCK SAID EXTENSIONS TO SAID HORIZONTAL PLATE, ALLOWING FREE MOVEMENT OF SAID JAWS IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID NEEDLE SLOT, CONNECTION MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING ATTACHMENT PIECE TO SAID HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PLATE, SAID CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING GUIDE MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PLATE FOR FORWARD AND BACKWARD MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING ATTACHMENT PIECE, AND A LOCKING DEVICE FOR LOCKING SAID HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PLATE IN POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING ATTACHMENT PIECE. 